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Play ball. Curie's boys basketball team gets the green light to play in the state playoffs. Christain Farr reports. (Published Monday, March 3, 2014)

The Curie Metropolitan High School boys varsity basketball team will be allowed to play in the state playoffs, the Illinois High School Association confirmed.

IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman said Chicago Public Schools administration was asked to verify "each player’s adherence to the IHSA Academic Eligibility By-laws prior to the team being allowed to participate."

CPS confirmed Monday afternoon that nine team members have complied and are eligible to compete, Hickman said.

The Class 4A postseason begins Monday night, and Curie is scheduled to play Tuesday at King High School. They will play the winner of Monday's game between Argo and DuSable.

A CPS investigation found that seven players were found to be academically ineligible since the start of the 2013-14 season, officials said. CPS requires students to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average or have a signed certified Individual Study Plan.

“Chicago Public Schools has a proud tradition of athletic competition and sportsmanship, but our number one responsibility to our students is providing them with a solid academic foundation that will serve them the rest of their lives,” CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said in a statement. “A District investigation into the academic eligibility of members of the Curie Metropolitan High School boys varsity basketball team found that a number of the players are academically ineligible to compete and, as a result, their season must be forfeited.”

Despite having been ineligible to compete in CPS this season, all members of the Curie boys varsity team were eligible to compete in the IHSA state tournament. To meet eligibility, students had to be passing five courses and achieving a minimum of 2.5 credits at the time of the tournament.